Democratic leaders in the N.C. House introduced the Remove Barriers and Gain Access to Abortion Act, or the RBG Act, on Monday that would eliminate many restrictions preventing women in the state from getting an abortion.
If passed, the bill will also allow advanced practice clinicians and other medically trained professionals to perform the procedure, increasing the number of providers in the state who are not physicians, according to Rep. Julie Von Haefen, a Democrat who represents Wake County, is one of the sponsors of the bill. Von Haefen, along with other lawmakers and health advocates, held a virtual press conference Monday to discuss the details of the bill.
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As President Joe Biden begins enacting his policy goals, abortion rights advocates will watch and see whether he makes good on his promise to repeal the Hyde Amendment after years of supporting it. The amendment implemented in 1977 bars federal funding from paying for abortions except in the case of rape, incest, or if the pregnant person’s life is in danger. Meaning, those seeking an abortion have to find hundreds of dollars on a tight schedule to pay for a legal, safe healthcare procedure.
Despite their hopes for legislative changes under Biden, Southern activists working in some of the nation’s most restrictive states for abortion say repealing Hyde won’t be the panacea some hope. While it would be a step in the right direction, state-level restrictions make abortion hard to access in some places, an issue only compounded by cost.